"...and let us run with ENDURANCE..."

Do you ever find yourself discouraged by the monotony of your daily life, by the menial tasks that never seem to end? I know I do! But I was so encouraged when I was reading my devotions several days ago.

I've been going through Bill MacDonald's "One Day at a Time" this year and it has been such a blessing to my heart. I was reading what he wrote about endurance in this life, an endurance for the things of God. He talked about how many people view the Christian life in a very idealistic manner, a manner that makes it seem as if every day should be filled with an "uninterrupted series of mountaintop experiences." It's like this idea does not include heartbreak, trials, daily routines that become monotonous, hard work, etc. And, when we find ourselves experiencing these things we become disheartened, discouraged and feel deprived. MacDonald goes on to say:

The true facts are these. Most of the Christian life is...'the way of plodding perseverance in the doing of apparently small things.' This is the way I have found it. There has been a full share of menial tasks, of long hours of disciplined study, of service without apparent results. At times, the question has arisen, 'Is anything really being accomplished?' Just then the Lord would drop some token of encouragement, some wonderful answer to prayer, some clear word of guidance. And I would be strengthened to go for a while longer. ... If you are ever tempted to quit, remember the words of Hebrews 10:36 (NEB), 'You need endurance if you are to do God's will and win what He has promised.'

So, when you're feeling discouraged because you have yet another load of laundry to do or the floor needs to be scrubbed again or just another day of work, be sure to look for those "tokens of encouragement" that the Lord gives you to help you go on, to remind you of His faithfulness, even in the midst of the mundane!

A noble life is not a blaze
Of sudden glory won,
But just an adding up of days
In which God's will is done.

One Day at a Time, January 10

Isn't snow wonderful!?

This is what I woke up to this morning! A blanket of snow! Isn't it lovely?!

Just for Fun

Ok, so I know I'm a week past doing this but Rachel tagged me and here it goes! By the way...I tag...Anne M. & Jenica! Have fun girls!!

I give you money and send you into the grocery store to pick up 5 items. You can only pick one thing from the following departments. What is it?
1. Produce: Sugar snap Peas
2. Bakery: Donuts :-)
3. Meat: Hamburger
4. Frozen: Pizza
5. Dry goods: Cheez-Its

Let's say we're heading out for a weekend getaway. You're only allowed to bring 3 articles of CLOTHING with you. So, what's in your bag?
1. Jeans
2. T-shirt
3. Underwear (Have none of you been wearing underwear on this weekend getaway! ha ha!)

1 task you wish you were better at doing?
1. Piano Playing

1 Celebrity you wish you looked like (silly, I know:))
1. Ummm..this is hard b/c they may look pretty but then their character kinda of ruins it for me.

If I was to listen in on one of your conversations throughout the day, what 5 phrases or words would I be most likely to hear?
1. Hey, mom, How's your day going?
2. Kate did what? Ha ha!
3. Is it time to eat yet?
4. What a cute baby! (especially the days I'm at work!)
5. Dear Lord, Help me to get through another day and glorify you in the process.

So, what 3 things do you find yourself doing every single day, and if you didn't get to do, you probably wouldn't be in the best mood?
1. My Quiet Time
2. Take a shower
3. Talk to a friend or family member

What 5 places do you visit roughly every week?
1. Church
2. Work
3. Gas Station
4. Starbucks (I have bible study there!)
5. Target

If you were to shop at three stores for a whole year to supply your wardrobe and money was not an issue, which 3 would it be?
1. Banana Republic
2. Nordstroms
3. Northface

You just scored tickets to the taping of any show that comes on t.v. of your choice. You can pick between 4, so what are you deciding between?
1. Flip that House
2. House
3. 24
4. Real Life in the ER :-)

You're hungry for ice cream. I'll give you a tripple dipper ice cream cone. What 3 flavors can I pile on for ya?
1. Mint Choc. Chip
2. Bunny Tracks (sounds gross but if you've had it you know it's delicious!)
3. Coffee

Somebody stole your purse… in order to get it back, you have to name 5 things you know are inside to claim it. So, what's in there?
1. Red wallet
2. Cell Phone
3. Planner
4. Hand Sanitizer
5. Lip Gloss

If you could go back and talk to the old you, when you were in high school, and inform yourself of 4 things, what would you say?
1. Focus on the will of God...your sanctification
2. Study the Word
3. Life may not go according to your plan but His will is best. Trust Him. Lean on Him. He will be faithful. And be pleasantly surprised at how His best can really be great, even when its not what you expected!
4. Your parents really are wise and know what they are talking about so LISTEN!

Grief & Comfort

My heart has been heavy this week. Various friends and families that are going through trials have constantly been on my mind. Eli H., Elliot H., Luke K., the Hausmann's, to name a few. My heart breaks to think of the pain that these families are going through right now. I wonder how to give them words of comfort. The things that come to mind are true. All things DO work together for good for those who love the Lord. God WILL only give us what we can handle (in HIS strength). The Lord DOES have a purpose behind everything that happens. But are these words really comforting when someone's heart is breaking from grief and pain?

I wish there were a magic wand that would make everything "right" again. But, that isn't how God designed things, did He? Everything is designed with the purpose that God might be glorified...even through these horribly, heartbreaking events. So, my conclusion for now?

Be there for them.
Listen to them.
Pray FOR them.
Pray WITH them.
Cry with them.
(And of course, do some of those practical, every day things for them so they can focus their attention on their loved ones.)

"Rejoice with them that do rejoice and weep with them that weep." Romans 12:15

My prayer for you this year

I am having trouble sleeping tonight and so have been sitting here reading and thinking. I have been thinking about how I want to pray for my loved ones this year. I have been thinking about what I want to see the Lord do in your lives and that I want to see you "be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God..." (Colossians 1:9-10) Sounds like a pretty lofty goal, right?! But, I figure that if Paul could pray that for the people at Colosse than surely I can pray it for you too!

As my mind has been drawn to prayer this evening, I was wonderfully encouraged and surprised when I opened up my One Day at a Time devotional by William McDonald and saw that it's all about a prayer for the year. And so tonight, before I lay my head on my pillow to hopefully finally drift off to sleep, I will be praying these things for my life and for yours in this New Year! (The following is taken from One Day at a Time. It has been modified and is not quoted in its entirety.)

Lord Jesus, I rededicate myself afresh to You today. I want You to take my life this coming year and use it for Your glory. "Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee."

I pray that You will keep me from sin, from anything that will bring dishonor to Your name.

Keep me teachable by the Holy Spirit. I want to move forward for You. Don't let me settle in a rut.

May my motto this year be, "He must increase; I must decrease." The glory must all be Yours. Help me not to touch it.

Teach me to make every decision a matter of prayer. I dread the thought of leaning on my own understanding. "I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." (Jer. 10:23)

May I die to the world and even to the approval or blame of loved ones or friends. Give me a single, pure desire to do the things that please Your heart.

Help me to speak what is edifying and profitable.

Give me tears of compassion for the perishing.

Help me to be a good steward of everything you have entrusted to me.

Help me to remember that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. May this tremendous truth influence all my behavior.

I pray that this may be the year of Your return. I long to see Your face and to fall at Your feet in worship. During the coming year, may the blessed hope stay fresh in my heart, disengaging me from anything that would hold me here and keeping me on the tiptoes of expectancy. "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

Amen.

Rise Up & Look: The Pictures!

Here are the pictures that prove all the fun that was had at the conference (in between all the teaching)! Hannah, Heidi, Sara and I rode to St. Louis together! So much fun!

Quote of the week: "What happens in the car, stays in the car!"

Heidi & me at Steak & Shake

Sara & Hannah at Steak & Shake

THE St. Louis ARCH:

Beth & Robbie




Me & Robbie




The Roomies: Beth, Me, Robbie & Ruth



Me, Beth, Ruth, Jason, Errick (plus the scary bear in the background!)

Melissa in all her distress as she lost "her group"!

A random picture!

Rise Up & Look: Our Lively Hope

Yesterday, I got home from the Rise Up Conference in St. Louis. The main focus of this conference was The Last Days and it was really an intense topic to try to tackle in a couple of days. Typically, when I've heard messages on the Last Days, particularly on our Savior's return, I get the feeling that the idea being communicated is a fear of the Lord's return and that this fear is to motivate me to be a "better christian". I was particularly encouraged by the perspective the speakers portrayed throughout the conference, one of HOPE as our motivator.


Joe Reese spoke on the Church in the Last Days. He reminded us that our salvation is not complete yet and that our hope is the consummation of our salvation, when our salvation is fully and completely realized when we are perfected in glory!

What do we know about our hope?
1. Our hope is unseen. It is real but is not seen and one day our faith will give way to sight!

2. Our hope is stabilizing. It is our hope that serves as an anchor and stabilizes our life.

Hebrews 6:19 "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast..."

3. Our hope is purifying. It is our hope that purifies and sanctifies our life. (more to come on sanctification in future posts)

4. Our hope is a confident expectation. Our Lord IS returning. It is imminent. And though we do not know the day or the time, we know that it WILL happen one day.

There are 3 principles which we can rest on through the Last Days:

1. Our faith in Him based on PAST personal experiences. We can hope today based on what God has done for me in days past. God has NEVER failed me and with confidence I can know that He will not fail me today because he did not fail me yesterday.

Daniel 3:17 As Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answer King Nebuchadnezzar "If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and HE WILL deliver us from your hand O, king."

Based on their experience of God's faithfulness in the past, they could tell the king with confidence that they would be delivered from his hand.

2. Our faith in Him based on what He's done for others. We can look all around us and see the grace of God. Others bear witness to His faithfulness.

Mark: 5:22-36 Jairus was there when the woman with the issue of blood was healed. He was there and witnessed the power of the Lord.

3. Our faith based on His promises. I have hope today because God has given me promises in His Word. God's promises are like checks that are meant to be carried to the bank and cashed out. Based on the personal promise that He will return for ME, I will NOT give up and I will continue on!

Romans 4:18-25 "...He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform...Now it was not written for his sake alone...but also for us."

All in all, I was encouraged as I realized that I have a lively hope in looking forward to the day that my Savior returns for ME. Yes, He will return for ME as His redeemed child. What a wonderful and blessed hope! It seems to me as though this Hope and love towards the Savior is a much more effective motivator towards Godly living than fear. And, it is THIS hope that motivates my heart to strive to live a life that honors and glorifies His name.